Saturday I volunteered in the early literacy room at the Shorewood Public Library, leading kids in different sensory activities and educating parents about how they can incorporate simple and fun learning activities at home (Photo via Shorewood Public Library).

This weekend I was able to take advantage of a great volunteer opportunity presented to me by my professor, Mary Wepking, who spread the word that the Shorewood Public Library was looking for volunteers for a children's program on Saturday, April 25th. Since I want to work in youth services, I knew there was no way I could pass up the opportunity to help with the Community P.L.A.Y. Day – and I'm so thankful for the fun and educational experience!

Here's the description of the P.L.A.Y. Day from the Shorewood Public Library website: "Parents, grandparents, caregivers, and children (infants through kindergartners) are invited to join us for a day of P.L.A.Y. - Play, Literacy & Learning Activities for You & Your Young Children. Discover the many ways children learn through play. Make some fun and easy learning toys. Learn about healthy foods kids will love. The Shorewood Library is partnering with the North Shore Health Department, Outpost Natural Foods, and others to help parents and caregivers make the most of those early years."

I worked primarily at the infant and toddler station that focused a lot on different sensory activities, like playing with squishy gel-filled bags and shaking bottles filled with uncooked rice and corn kernels. I also helped kids do a craft that used paper cups, straws and small paper octopus cutouts to make little pop-up puppets. At my station there were also other educational activities that focused on age-appropriate learning, like matching and identifying colors, shapes and sizes.

Not only did I get some more experience working with children in a library setting, I also got to brush up on my nonverbal communication skills. Shorewood Library serves a pretty diverse population, and I interacted with many parents and children who spoke little or no English. It's amazing to see just how much you can communicate with others based on facial expressions and gestures alone!

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Tessa Fox is a 26-year-old Early Literacy Librarian at the Grayslake Area Public Library in Grayslake, Illinois. After working in the journalism and publishing fields, Tessa decided to dedicate her life to books and public librarianship, and went back to school to get her Master's in Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she graduated in December 2016. Tessa has been working in public libraries for the past four years.